Aiming For The Sky
by MetalVictini
Summary: My name is Aaron. Growing up, my sister always told me to aim for the sky. Funnily enough, it wasn't until I finally decided to step out of my comfort zone and met another rookie trainer that I started to understand why. This is the story of two trainers who helped each other see things a little differently.
1. Prologue

Prologue

_Aaron_

_Bzzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!_

There goes the alarm clock. As always, I drowsily make my way to it to turn it off. I never was much of a morning person. After getting out of the shower, I finish drying off and glance into the mirror to make sure my short red hair is presentable. I give myself an approving nod, and throw on some jeans and a t-shirt. I make my way down the stairs.

Of course, Skyla's already up and raring to go. Honesty, if it weren't for the resemblance, no one would know we were brother and sister. I sit down and she promptly shoves a plate of eggs and toast in front of me.

"About time you got down here, Aaron," She says with a hint of urgency in her voice. "We need to get going pretty soon if you want to make it in time." She smirks. "That is, unless you _want_ to make Iris mad by being late."

I look at the clock…

"Oh, crap!" I exclaim. I lost track of time and Iris's crowning as Champion is today! I suddenly feel like an idiot.

If I'm not fully awake at this point, that certainly does the job. I start eating more quickly. I've managed to stay on Iris's good side for a couple of years now and if what Skyla tells me about how she was when dealing with Team Plasma is true, I want it to stay that way. Skyla sees me eating faster and laughs. As soon as I finish eating, I stand up.

"You just said that because you wanted to see how I reacted, didn't you?" I ask her, realizing how ridiculous I must look and trying to stop myself from laughing.

"You know it!" She says, grinning. She picks up her bag. "Ready to get going?"

I throw on a jacket and pick up my backpack. "Yeah," I tell her. "Let's go."

I step out of the house and see the familiar runway of Mistralton City. The smell of last night's rain is still in the air, but the sky is practically cloudless. My sister's familiar cargo plane is in the middle of the runway and ready to go. I can feel myself tensing up, wishing Skyla had a plane meant more for passengers. Ah, well. No point in arguing. If I want to see my friend crowned champion, I need to get on that plane. Skyla, as if sensing how nervous I am, places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"C'mon, Aaron," she says, smiling, "You'll be fine. Have I ever let you get hurt on my plane before?"

I sigh. "Let's just get this over with," I reply, and walk onto the plane.

For all the times I've been on this plane, I've never gotten used to it. It's obvious just by looking inside that it was meant for cargo and not passengers. The crates and metal floors don't make for very comfortable seating. I look around and settle on a place near the door to the cockpit, and sit down against the wall. I pull a Poke Ball from my jacket pocket. Now's as good a time as any to let him fly around.

"Alright, Talon," I say, smiling. "Why don't you stretch your wings a little?"

My Rufflet materializes from the ball, cawing happily. One positive about being in a cargo plane; it gives Talon plenty of space to fly around. Talon takes to the air while I pull out a book and start reading.

Thankfully, we don't run into much turbulence on the way. Skyla lands the plane near the Pokemon League Headquarters, and I return Talon to his Poke Ball. Skyla steps out of the cockpit, and we walk off the plane into a part of Unova I've seen pictures of, and heard about from my sister, but have never actually been to.

I walk out to a sea of sand and rocks. I look to the south and I swear I can see the entirety of the Unova region over the cliff. I see Opelucid City not too far off, its ancient looking buildings standing out. Skyla once told me this was a style choice, meant to preserve the region's past. The buildings, while they look like they came from the distant past, actually have all the amenities of any modern structure.

We make our way toward the Headquarters, and I wonder why the Unova League couldn't have picked a spot with more life to it. I've seen pictures of other regions' League buildings, and they all seemed more enjoyable to visit, especially Hoenn's. I turn to my sister.

"Why'd they pick such a brown spot? You'd think the Pokemon Association would be able to pick a place with more..." I try to think of the right words, "More life to it."

"Your guess is as good as mine." She replies, with a look on her face that makes it obvious that she's thinking the same thing. "Maybe they were going for the 'imposing' feeling," she adds as we walk past the doorman into the building.

The conference room looks more like a school auditorium. The lights are dim, but just bright enough that I can still see where I'm going, and the velvet seats are almost all full. As Skyla and I take our seats, I smile as I think about how lucky we are that it's not cold season. The lights dim all the way, and Grimsley makes his way to the stage. Now, I've never met the guy, but from what I've heard from other people involved with the League, he's a pleasant enough person once you get past his somewhat strange speech pattern. Thankfully, he's speaking plainly for this.

"As you all know," he begins, "The previous Champion, Alder, along with several Gym Leaders, has stepped down. This has left a vacancy in their positions. Vacancies we intend to fill today."

I take a look at the rest of the stage and see Iris, along with a young man in semi-formal wear, some guy with a serious tan, and…..wait, what's Roxie doing here? She didn't tell me anything. I turn to Skyla, and she just grins. Guess I'm the last to know.

Grimsley continues speaking. "First order of business: We'd like to announce the opening of three new gyms in Aspertia, Virbank, and Humilau cities. We have selected the following trainers to be the leaders of these new gyms. For the new Aspertia gym, we have chosen Cheren, specializing in Normal-type Pokemon."

The well dressed young man stands from his chair, making his way to the center. Skyla mentioned this guy once. He once challenged her and apparently gave her quite a battle. He was also pretty heavily involved in the whole Team Plasma thing last year. Guess the League liked what they saw.

"To lead the Virbank City gym, we have chosen Roxie, specializing in Poison-types."

Roxie shoots up from her seat and takes her place in the center along with Cheren. She looks in my direction, grinning. Clearly, the reason she never told me was so she could surprise me with the good news. Considering that Skyla also knew, there's no way she just forgot. My phone vibrates, and I see a message from her saying "We'll talk after the ceremony."

"And finally, as the Humilau City Gym leader, specializing in Water-types, Marlon"

The surfer-looking man stands up and moves to the center. I've never even heard of this guy before. I find myself wondering why the League picked him. He seems like he's more interested in catching a big wave than Pokemon battling. He holds up a Poke Ball and gives a "hang loose" sign to the crowd.

"And finally," Grimsley begins to raise his voice. "The time has come to crown our new Champion. It was not an easy process, but we feel confident in our decision, and we hope you are too. Now, Iris, will you please come forward?"

As Iris stands up, I notice she's wearing a pink and ivory dress that sort of poofs at the bottom. She also has her hair done differently from usual, now in more of a ponytail. I'm not going to lie. She's really pretty with this new look.

Grimsley continues, "Iris, do you accept the title of Champion, and all the responsibilities that go with it?"

Iris nods and replies, "I do"

"Do you promise to not only test trainers' worth, but help them grow as both trainer and Pokemon alike?"

Again, she nods, "I do."

"Then the Unova League accepts you, Champion Iris."

The crow applauds approvingly, and I can see that Iris is struggling to contain her excitement. I feel my phone vibrate and look to see another message from Roxie.

"Meet me in the lobby," it says.

Everyone exits the stage, and the lights come back on. I turn to Skyla to tell her I'm meeting with Roxie, then get up and start making my way to the lobby. I was in a hurry before, so I didn't notice how nice the lobby really is. Polished marble flooring and an ornate fountain in the middle really make it stand out. I also notice that there are assorted plants along the perimeter. Once I'm near the central fountain, it doesn't take long to feel an impact from behind me and a familiar pair of arms choking me.

"Guess who?" I hear my friend say in a playful voice.

"A gym leader who never tells me anything," I reply, in an equally playful voice.

Roxie lets me turn around and return the hug. "Congrats, Roxie! I didn't know you applied to be a gym leader."

"Sorry about that. I wanted to surprise you. You have no idea how hard it was to get your sister to keep it quiet." She smiles, seeming satisfied with my reaction. "It's been a while. We really have some catching up to do. Luckily, I asked Skyla to give me a ride back to Virbank, so we'll have plenty of time."

This may require some explanation. Roxie's been my best friend since I met her about six years ago. I guess going through the awkwardness of early adolescence together (among other things, but this isn't the time for that.) brings people close like that. Her dad took a job in Virbank last year, so we haven't been able to see each other as often as either of us would like. This is the first time I've seen her in three months.

Skyla catches up to us and we begin to make our way back to the plane. As we step outside I notice that the sun is starting to go down. It makes for a really good sunset view from here.

"Of all the places I've seen a sunset," Skyla says, smiling, "this is one of the best."

After spending roughly two minutes looking at the view, we board the plane, and Roxie and I walk into the ever uncomfortable cargo area. We sit down at the same wall I sat against on the way here, and I could swear that the metal is colder than it was earlier. Well, at least this time I have Roxie to talk to.

"So," I say, "When did you apply to be a gym leader?"

"A couple of months ago. I realized just how much I love being with my Pokemon and having battles, so I want to help other trainers find the same joy I do."

I smile, "Kind of funny, coming from the bassist of a punk rock band." I feel her lightly punch my upper arm.

"What? I'm not allowed to have emotions?" She laughs. "Speaking of Pokemon, how's that Rufflet of yours?"

I rub the spot where she punched me. I really need to have a word with her about her definition of "love tap" one of these days. I reply, "He's fine. Seems perfectly content to just fly around and eat what I feed him."

"Have you ever considered training more extensively?"

"I've thought about it, but I don't know. You and I both know battles have never been my strong suit, and I'm not exactly….outdoorsy."

I hear the speakers make a sound, and Skyla says "Hey Roxie. It's getting dark. Would you mind staying the night with us? I can fly you back to Virbank tomorrow."

Roxie replies "Sure thing. I can wait."

I feel the plane start to descend, and within a couple of minutes, we've landed back in Mistralton. We exit the plane, and walk back to the house. We grab a pizza on the way home, and Skyla and I continue to catch up with Roxie. When the time comes to go to bed, I show Roxie to the guest room (It still feels weird calling it that.) Roxie turns to me, and smiles.

"You know, Aaron. I think you'd make a great trainer if you let yourself. Think about it."

"Maybe I'll try training Talon a little more." I return the smile. "Good night, Roxie."

"Good night."


	2. Chapter 1

_Note: Well, here's where the story really begins. I apologize if the format of two protagonists confuses anyone, but it was the only format I could think of for a story like this. I hope I can keep a balance between Rosa and Aaron chapters. Also, sorry this chapter's a little shorter than the prologue. I'll try not to make a habit of it. Anyway, hope you enjoy this._

Chapter 1

_Four Months Later_

_Rosa_

I look over at my clock. 8 AM. I've been at this for thirty minutes. People are always telling me how great my hair looks, but no one seems to realize just how hard it is to get it to cooperate with me some mornings. Most of the time, I'm out of bed, in and out of the shower, in front of the mirror, and out of the bathroom by 7:40. This is one of the few mornings- the exceptions. Why does this always happen on mornings when I'm actually on a schedule? All I want is to look presentable and apparently, that's too much to ask. I toil at my hair for another ten minutes before it's in my usual dual-bun combination.

That gives me a good twenty minutes to eat breakfast. I make my way to the kitchen, open the cupboard, and grab a random box of cereal. Five minutes later, I've eaten a bowl of the stuff and, after brushing my teeth, I walk out the front door to see my mom on the phone-with Professor Juniper, no doubt. Those two go back further than the sixteen years I've been alive. I hear her end the call, and she walks over to me.

"Good morning, Rosa," She says with a smile.

"Morning, mom," I reply. "What were you two talking about?"

"Professor Juniper has some unexpected business at the lab. She won't be able to make it today." She must see me begin to look frustrated, because she immediately continues, "Don't worry. She's sent an assistant to meet you. Hugh's already on his way to the overlook." She barely has time to finish before I give her a hug and start walking.

"Thanks, Mom. I'll be back soon."

I start walking toward the overlook, taking in the sounds of people I pass. People on their morning commutes, housewives watering their plants, that sort of thing. Thankfully, the overlook isn't too far from my house, and I arrive after roughly ten minutes. Surely enough, Hugh is already here, along with a blonde girl wearing a hat and glasses. She looks to be a year or two older than me. I see her holding a cylindrical object of some kind. It looks like a canister.

"There's the latecomer," Hugh says sarcastically. He looks over to the girl. "Guess we can get this started now."

The girl walks to the overlook's fence. "I've been all over Unova, but I've never been around here." She then breathes in. "You get a great view from here. The trees in combination with the mountain range; it's quite a sight."

Is this girl going to get to the point? Not that I don't agree with her. This overlook's been one of my favorite places since I was little. However, I'm not here to play tour guide. I glance over and see that Hugh is started to look irritated.

I chime in before he has a chance to act on that irritation. "I agree. So, I take it you're that assistant Juniper sent?"

She turns around, smiling. "Ah! Got a little off topic there." She breathes in again, regaining her composure. "Yes. I'm the assistant sent by Juniper to give you two your Pokemon." She then starts shaking my hand without warning. "I'm Bianca. Hugh's already introduced himself. So, what's your name?"

"Rosa." I reply, smiling. She seems like a nice enough person. I bet, given the chance, we could actually end up becoming pretty good friends. I then notice something. "Wasn't there supposed to be a third?"

Bianca then holds out the canister she's been holding. "Something came up, so I'm meeting him in Virbank later. In the meantime, I think it's time you two got your own Pokemon."

She presses a button on one of the canister's ends, revealing three Poke balls inside. One ball in particular catches my attention immediately. It almost feels like it's radiating heat. I pick it up and take a closer look. The ball opens up and a Tepig materializes out of it. The Pokemon starts sniffing me. It's pretty cute.

Bianca lets out a small laugh and says, "Looks like he likes you."

I smile. "I'll take this one." I lean down a little and let my hand hover over his head. He leans his head down. I guess that means it's okay to pet him. I begin gently rubbing his head, making him smile contently. He snorts out a small flame that quickly dissipates. Even that's adorable from this Tepig. "I think I'll call you Lamp. How's that sound?"

He smiles and snorts approvingly. Lamp it is. I wrap my arms around my new Pokemon and pick him up.

It's Hugh's turn now, and it looks like he's made his choice. He picks up a Poke ball and lets it open, revealing an Oshawott.

"I'll take him." He says. He seems more to the point than usual. True, this isn't his first experience with Pokemon-he has a Pidove that he's been raising since it was an egg- but knowing him, I would've expected him to be at least a little more enthusiastic. It almost seems like he just wants to get this over with.

Before I have a chance to ask him what's going on, Bianca walks over to us and hands us each a Pokedex. She then begins to talk again.

"I really have to thank you both for agreeing to help out like this. We've been a little short on people gathering field data for a couple of months."

"Don't worry about it." I reply. "I've wanted to get out there and train for almost a year now, so it's not exactly inconvenient. I plan to challenge the gyms and go for the Pokemon League while I'm at it."

"Oh, so you'll be challenging Cheren before you leave then?" Bianca asks.

"That's the plan. I'm going to wait until tomorrow. Give Lamp time to get used to me. Then I'm going to get started."

Hugh walks up to me. "In that case, how about we have a battle so you can get the hang of it?"

I think about it for a second, and nod. "Why not?" I say. Lamp seems to pick up on it immediately as Hugh nods to his Oshawott.

Okay, if I've heard correctly, there should be a list of Lamp's moves on this Pokedex. Most people don't have to rely on this, but I'm new to battling while Hugh has experience. I need all the help I can get here. Luckily, this thing's interface is easy enough to figure out, and I see that my Tepig knows Tackle and Tail Whip. I see Hugh standing, and he nods to signal that I'm to make the first move.

"Okay, Lamp. Try tackling that Oshawott," I tell my Tepig. He doesn't hesitate. He begins running toward Hugh's Pokemon and, before I know it, has rammed him.

I hear Hugh call out "Tackle!" and next thing I know, Lamp and Oshawott are caught up in a tackling fight. As they repeatedly exchange blows, I begin to realize that there's only so much Lamp can take and unless something changes, he's going to lose.

"Lamp!" I call out. "Use Tail Whip!"

Despite not having much of a tail, the Tepig makes up for it by whipping his rump right into Oshawott, knocking him back. That should reduce his guard a little. I begin to notice that the other Pokemon is panting. What I'm about to do next should finish it.

"Lamp! Finish it with another Tackle!"

That does it. After Lamp collides with Oshawott again, the other Pokemon collapses. Hugh calls him back into his Poke Ball.

"Not bad for your first time." He says. "Guess you'll be okay when you challenge Cheren tomorrow." He then turns away and begins walking down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"To schedule my match against Cheren. If you need me, you can just reach me on your Xtransceiver." He turns to Bianca. "Thank you for your time, Bianca."

After saying goodbye to Bianca myself, I look at my watch. That whole thing took about two hours. I notice people beginning to file into a nearby diner, and I decide to stop for some lunch before I head home.

Upon arriving home, I take the rest of the day to look over a pile of reading material that my mom brought from the Pokemon Center and give Lamp a chance to get accustomed to being around me. Thankfully, my mom knows just what to feed him. I should probably get her Pokemon food recipe before I leave. It suddenly hits me.

I'm really leaving. I'll be coming back eventually, of course, but this is my first time leaving home for an extended amount of time. I can't help but feel a strange melancholy. I look at Lamp to see that he's fallen asleep. I glance at the clock to see that it's past ten. I'd better get to bed or I'm not going to have the energy to battle Cheren.

_And that's the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to throw a review my way. Feedback is actually pretty helpful to me._

_I should be getting started on Chapter 2 soon. Assuming Xenoblade releases me from its grip._


End file.
